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Today in Nascar History January

First off this is all of the stuff that happened in January that does not have a date verified for it-quite a bit actually.

January 1947: Bill France makes the announcement that he will control a series of Stock Car Races under the NCSCC banner-or National Championship Stock Car Circuit.

January 1950: Nascar's strictly stock late model division is renamed the Grand National division.

January 1951: Bill France announces that the Grand National division will venture west to new venues in California.

January 1972: Nascar announces the season will be reduced to only 30 races, with events having to be at least 250 miles in length to be on the schedule.

January 1975: Nascar announces another new points system, the 4th different one in the past 5 seasons. Now each race on the calendar carries an equal points value, something that still stands today with our current point standings.

January 1979: CBS Sports prepares to televise the Daytona 500 live flag to flag in February. It will be the first time a Nascar event will be televised live in its entirety on a major network.

January 1986: Nascar changes the names of its top division and its 2nd tier division. Grand National is dropped from the top series and given to the old late model sportsman division. The top series is now known by its title sponsor, as the Winston Cup Series, while the 2nd tier series is referred to as the Busch Grand National Series.

January 1st, 1965: Nascar implements new rules that basically eliminate the Chrysler Hemi engine that was run with much success in Plymouths and Dodges in 1964. Chrysler in turn announces it will boycott all Nascar races in 1965.

January 3rd, 1974: Nascar announces that all races will be reduced 10 percent in length, therefore using less fuel. The move is done as a reaction to the energy shortage the country is facing. Smaller starting fields and more limited practice sessions are also in Nascarís plan.

January 5th, 1965: Billy Wade is killed while tire testing at Daytona. Wade was Joe Weatherly's replacement after his fatal accident in 1964. Wade had become the first driver to have won 4 Grand National (Cup) races in a row, doing so in 1964. :(